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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2nd. 



A Lecture on " Cremation in its Social and Sanitary Aspects," 

 was delivered by the Rev. Brooke Lambert, M.A., B.C.L., Vicar 

 of Greenwich, President of the Association. 



Tliose -who have amused themselves by observing the tide 

 as it rises, will have noticed that there is no unbroken advance 

 of waves. One wave gets a little beyond those which went 

 before, but the next wave falls far behind ; and it is only after 

 watching carefully for some minutes that one can establish the 

 fact of the rise. The same thing may be observed in the tide 

 of public opinion : the advance, when there is advance, is very 

 slow, and to the eager watcher is somewhat disheartening. 



The subject on which I wish to arouse some little public 

 opinion is one which bears Avitness to this fact. The plan of 

 disposing of the bodies of our friends by cremation was brought 

 into public notice by Sir Thomas Browne, author of the " Religio 

 Medici," 225 years ago. And yet this method, which, however 

 rash it may seem to make such a prophecy, is the method of the 

 future, has made no way. BroAvne's " Hydriatapliia or Urn 

 Burial," is an interesting treatise on the various methods adopted 

 in different nations for burying the dead out of sight. He wrote 

 at a time when modern science was in its infancy, for he could say, 

 " Some say that snow is black, ihat the eaiih moves, that the 

 !»oul is air, fire, water — but tliis is mere jjliilosophy." 



But since Sir Thomas Browne's day little has been done 

 to promote the reasonable reform he suggested. Cremation was 

 for a time optional in Prance in the first French Republic, but 

 the permission was afterwards rescinded. On the continent there 

 is one country where it is permitted and performed, i.e., Italy. 

 In some other countries it is favoured, and has been actually 

 performed. In America it is occasionally practised. But there 

 are no signs that the tide has done more than begin to turn. 

 And in England the wave has scarcely begun to rise. Looking 

 down Mr. Eassie's list of publications on the subject, which is 

 by no means perfect, I yet can trace no important work on the 

 subject from the time of Sir T. Browne, till another physician 

 of not less merit succeeded in awakening public attention. 



